UU weekend

I was a bit nervous, actually. So was Ben: he kept telling our Very-Christian friends that we were going off on a pagan retreat to sacrifice a goat. But it turned out that the goofy new-age-ness was at a minimum, really.

It was a beautiful space, among pines & snowy mountains. There was good yoga every morning, and there was a comfortable lodge with a constant fire & hot-chocolate & interesting crafts & sometimes people playing guitar music that Sophie loved. We got a private room, we didn’t have to cook or clean all weekend, and Sophie had dozens of friends to play with in this beautiful spot. That alone was worth it, but even better, I got to have conversations with some people I hadn’t known well: conversations about grief, aging, academic politics, love. Conversations worth having.

And on Saturday night, there was dancing before dinner. Ben’s photo here captures some of the freedom & comfort & joy of this multi-generational group dancing without a shred of self-consciousness. It was beautiful. That’s Lola, Kelly, Allison, & wonderful young Samantha in the photo. The teens aren’t in this photo, but the UU teens in our fellowship are some of my heroes. They’re surprisingly caring, independent, and confident – it’s very un-teen-like, but it may be a California thing, and it’s definitely a UU thing. I’m glad Sophie gets to grow up in this community.